BIOGRAPHY

*Photo by HAL

*Photo by HAL (Location: in Hawaii)

*Photo by ANDY（Location: in New York）

TONKA （トンカ／東花）

作曲　Composer/ Music Maker
トラックメイク　Track making
シンガー／ヴォーカリスト　　Singer/ Vocalist
パフォーマー／舞台アーティスト　Performer/ Stage Art

作曲、トラックメイクを続ける女性アーティスト。
シンガー（ヴォーカリスト）、ステージ・パフォーマー。
現在、自主企画ライブでは、総合的な芸術性をプロデュースしている。

TONKA（トンカ）という名前は、TONE OF SOUL （KA）を意味しており、
同時に、アマゾンに咲く白い香り高い花と香木でもある。（それは実在している熱帯の植物である。）

漢字表記は、”東花”。オリエンタル・フラワー（東洋の花）を意味する名。

また、”トンカ”という音（サウンド）は、
ネイティブアメリカンたちによると、古い言語で、”大いなる精霊”を意味すると云われている。

from ‘Dress Red Oriental’, Autumn 2011ー *Photo by HeartSpade

TONKA MUSIC HISTORY

2016年より、日本での音楽、ライブ活動を再始動した。拠点は東京。
自主企画プロジェクトによる「Art DIrectors Dive Presents TONKA Live」シリーズを、主催／開催中。

2017年より、TONKA-CORE4-を始動。完全生レコーディングによる新作アルバム　仮『ロマネスクー』の制作、録音、ミックスのプロデュースに挑んでいる。

2018年、南青山マンダラをメインのライブ拠点に、トンカ自身の作曲作品を完全な生で実現するプロジェクト TONKA CORE4（トンカコア4）4人編成バンドで、夏、自主ライブ「ウーマンインタキシード～色彩の発生」を開催。

2019年も、パフォーマーとしてのライブ／ステージを開催予定。アルバム制作も続行中。

from ‘TONKA Natural Profiles’ , Summer 2013 ー *Photo by HAL

言語や数値で割り切れない、測れないであろう、ひとびとに内在する”芸術性や美的感性”に、その発露に、アプローチ＆リチャージしていただけるように願って、わたくしの楽曲とパフォーマンスで豊かさとラグジュアリーネスを、スパイシーなエキゾティクスとともに提供していきたい。” ───TONKA.

ABOUT TONKA’S MUSIC & HER PERFORMANCE

People call her music…’Celestial Jazz’,’Modern Oriental’,’Nudy Soul’,and ‘The Sensuous’…

Audience enjoys her dressy live stage performances with her high-spirituality and her deep passions, emerging on the stage with the exotic ways of her dancing, and singing the sensitive vocals, in the oriental moods…

It gives totally sensuous impressions ,and she expands gracefully inspirational atmosphere, surrounding the whole spaces and the listeners’ hearts,so warm.

She have been always trying to produce, working with many creaters ;to create the totally artistic live stages, for audience to be able to enjoy opening their CORE of the heart ,and flowering their deep senses and true feeling inside.

Lighting designs,Screen Visual artworks… are so sensible and expressive at each moment,at each song …they go with the flow of her vocals and music.

Each details of All can be ‘Music Flow’ on her stage.

To empower, revitalize, harmonize people’s Human-Soul is the main purpose of her creations.

Her name -TONKA- has its meanings as; “Tone of Soul”, “Sound of Goddess”, and “Oriental Flower”, originally.

In 1997-1999	released her first album”Invisible”(11/1997). Executive producer’Hideaki Oka’. Lots of live stages in Hiroshima,Kobe,Osaka,Kyoto,Fukuoka,Tokyo… Started singing at Club,live houses,etc. Organized her first band and another unit in Hiroshima,and Kobe. So many opportunities to be offered by organizers. Performed at ‘CLUB MIX’ (was her first one and she surprised at audience). Performed at FLAT FIVE in KOBE, Performed at ‘Wunder bar Stevie’s’,’CAFE JIVE’,’Paradium’,and ‘club edge’,etc…in Hiroshima.
In 2000-2001	released her second album “Ecstasia”(10/2000;KUMA RECORDS). Executive producer’Tetsuji Kumagai’. Moved to Tokyo from Hiroshima,and organized her new band. Lots of live performances had been continued.Mainly at ‘blue’ in Minami-Aoyama, ‘Vanilla Mood’ in Nishiazabu,’CLUB ASIA’ in Shibuya.
In 2002	released her third album “The Star’s Calling” at Christmas time.(12/2002;Eternal004Music) Joined and released compiration album “Tokyo Bossa Nova”.(2002/Happiness Records) Joined the Fashion Show of ‘Notavle’ as a model, 2003 spring-summer collection. etc.
In 2003	joined and released an compiration album “Eight Girls”,produced by LAVA. Visited in NEW YORK by herself,and had a live stage “Asian Woman” at ‘Sugar Bar’ in the live event’Asian Night’,played with greate musicians in New York(August 30th,2003). It became the beginning of her live performance in worldwide. Also had her performances in Tokyo and west Japan.
In 2004	Joined in the Fashion Show”Japanalize”,as the main model performing with her vocals and music. Had Live stage performance with her band at ‘Obient’in Aoyama,Tokyo, with the Fashion Show of N.I.D.”. Continued her composing. Live tour in West Japan. “Come home Ecstasia”,with band.
In 2005	Recording in TOKYO with her band,creating her new album ‘Asian Woman’.(JAN-APL,2005) Visited in LENOX(USA),and joined the social conference”The Gathering 4,-Passion and “. She had a speech and her performance,the theme was ‘Frequency of music,and Human energy field.'(OCT,2005) Composing.
In 2006-2007	Stopped to have showtime, then concentrated in composing and studing more deeper and higher whole two years by herself.
In 2008-2009	She had a performance tour in Hiroshima,the title as “LIVE -Silk Velvet Night-“. Produced the stages with her new sounds totally for the band,lightings,visual artwork screens…etc. Produced and directed on creation DVD, “TONKA Live Silk Velvet Night”.
In 2010-2011	Working on the production of recordings her new album, in Tokyo.

Dear All Friends and Music Lovers.

I am so happy and very thankful
to have new basement to share my music with you all,named-TONKA MUSIC WBESITE-!!
This is my third version website in my artist life since the beginning at 1997.

During these 14 years,
I could have met so many wonderful creative people,
such as great musicians,sound engineers,DJs,organizers,producers,assistant managers,
genius graphic designers,photographers,visualizers,film makers,lighting designers,and website designers!!
What a great honer to create with you!!

I appriciate that you joined and supported my various creative works and projections.
Now I am here sincerely to thank you all !!
I am so thankful to ‘the great audience’.
whom I could have shared the precious time together at my live stagings,
started in Hiroshima,Kobe,Osaka,Kyoto,Fukuoka,Tokyo,New York… etc.
You are really wonderful power and always lead me right, truly and faithfully through my music life.

Now dear friends, please please enjoy “TONKA MUSIC WORLD” at any time , at any places.
When you need some inspirations or imaginations, I am always here !!

I compose and provide the music to you with my best wishes which are;
these sounds may be supportive friends to you…

For discovering your own beautiful melodies inside,
For feeling your own rhythms inside,
For remembering how to knocking on the door of your most splendid paradice,
For reaching your own greatest original visions….

in your everyday life.

Best Regards, TONKA.